Page 15 of Untamed

“Shouldn’t I stay there and keep her talking?” I ask over my shoulder.

“No way! You got what you came for. Don’t push your luck, Hayes.”

I hesitate, glancing back to the bar. But Poppy is right there, giving me a not-so-playful shove in the direction of Wells and Rhett.

“Fine!” I concede and spend the next fifteen minutes trying not to watch her every move.

This is not a good idea.

Not only because I clearly cannot be trusted to keep Hayes and my feelings at bay, but I haven’t danced in years. I’m pretty sure my body is going to give up halfway through the dance, and I’ll probably wake up tomorrow with bruises all over.

But I really, really did love dancing with Hayes back when we were younger. The thrill of being thrown around like that by someone you trusted, with everyone’s eyes on you as they clap and cheer you on. That shit is addicting.

And I may have worn one of my favorite dresses just because I knew I would end up giving in. It’s black and tight, and I hope it’s going to drive him a little bit crazy. I even remembered to wear some biker shorts under it so everyone in the bar would be spared a look at my panties.

“Trying to escape?”

I jump. He came out of freaking nowhere.

“No,” I assure him. “I just want to put my jacket in the back.”

“Here,” he says, helping me take it off. His eyes roam over the tattoos covering my arms. I had a few before I left, but the majority were done in the city, and I’m absolutely covered in them now. “I’ll put it with Poppy. Don’t wanna risk you disappearing on me.”

He takes my hand, and we slowly move through the crowd of people. I don’t know what’s going on tonight, but it’s far busier than it normally is. I’m actually surprised I’m able to take a break at all.

“I’m so excited!” Poppy shouts across the table as Hayes hands my jacket to her. “Good luck!”

“I might need it!” I tell her, laughing. “I’ve never danced to these newer songs.”

“You think I didn’t request one of ours?” Hayes asks, looking at me with a confused face. “Just gotta let him know when we’re ready, and he’s playing it.”

“Any hints you’re willing to give there, cowboy?”

“You’ll see.”

He puts his arm around my shoulders, and we walk out onto the dance floor. He nods in the direction of our DJ and then lets me do a few spins while people slowly clear out of our way. And when the music starts up, I can’t help but throw my head back in laughter.

The song he requested? “Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy.”

“Hayes Black!” I shout through my laughter. “Are you kidding me right now?”

“Never.” He gives me a tug, spinning me back into his body. “Remember the steps?”

How could I ever forget them? This was a crowd favorite back when we were doing this every weekend in the barn dances. It had just come out, and people thought it was hilarious. Us included. So we made our own little routine and practiced it almost every night.

Falling back into the pattern is, like Poppy said, kind of like riding a bike. My feet just move to the rhythm as we two-step and warm up. I’m transported right back to the summer nights we spent in the middle of a field on his ranch, far enough away that the music wouldn’t wake anyone up. We’d spend hours out there, practicing our flips and swings until the sun started coming up.

Hayes’ warm hands guide me through the movements as we move in circles around each other, until the song picks up, meaning it’s time for the more difficult moves. But he makes it easy, tossing me into the air and sliding me between his legs like I’m light as a feather.

I forgot how confident being in his arms makes me feel. Before I know it, I’m really leaning into it. I can hear people clapping with the beat and cheering us on. Hayes looks at me like I’m the only woman in the room, and when the rapping part of the song comes on, I step to the side and let him shine.

He sings the entire part like it was made for him. And toward the end, he pulls me in, wrapping his arms tightly around my torso so we’re face-to-face. My hands are on his shoulders, and I’m biting back laughter as he throws his head back and shouts in time with the song, “And we made love!”

People scream in the background, and he throws me high in the air, catching me so I’m striking a pose on his shoulders while he spins us around. I fall back, kicking a leg in the air as Hayes catches me just before my head would’ve smacked the floor. It’s our biggest move that always gets people excited. Especially when my feet go over my head, and I land the flip perfectly.

Just as the song ends, I twist a few more times, and then Hayes dips me, placing his cowboy hat on my head as I come back up. The entire bar erupts into applause, and I’m breathless when I stand back up. He holds me close, his smile taking up his entire face. His wild hair is hanging down in his face, and I take the liberty of pushing some of it back.

He turns his head and kisses the palm of my hand. It’s quick, so quick that I don’t have time to react before he grabs it and raises it high in the air, gesturing for the crowd to clap loudly for me. My face heats, from the embarrassment of being shown off like this or from his kiss, I’m not sure.

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